Effects of deprivation of vision and vibrissae on goal-directed locomotion in cats.

The locomotor behaviour of adult cats blinded soon after birth was compared to that of control cats by measuring running time in a maze. The effects of vibrissae deprivation in trained blind and control cats and of visual deprivation in control cats was studied. The performance of the control cats decreased in darkness to the level reached by the blind cats. Deprivation of vibrissae affected the performance of the control cats only in darkness and had no effect on the blind cats. The role played by various sensory systems in locomotion during development and in adulthood is discussed.